The best iPad media apps

iPad on sale in UK
So you've bought an iPad. What to do with it now? Browse the best media apps. Photograph: Paul Faith/PA

Despite the spat between Apple and Adobe, which means that the iPad is hobbled by its inability to play Flash content, it's still a wonderful device for consuming media. The PressReader app (free, paid-for content) offers digital editions of newspapers and magazines from around the world. You can flick through pages, zoom in to read them as they were printed, or bring up easier-on-the-eyes text versions of stories.

Zinio (free, paid-for content) similarly displays glossy magazines and has much the same functionality but with a slicker interface; crucially, it turns printed weblinks into interactive ones. Geeks will love the Wired app (£2.99), which takes the concept a bit further by adding iPad-only content to the technology magazine.

The Financial Times' app is a good way to access FT content, but while the app itself is free, you have to pay to view content after a miserly three articles. Don't miss the Guardian's wonderful Eyewitness app (free), which serves up the best of our photographic library complete with captions and notes on how and why the picture was made.

The BBC's iPlayer is a reason all by itself to buy the iPad. It handles streaming content via a Wi-Fi connection seamlessly and, as with the full-fat website, gives you catch-up for much of the corporation's output. The catch is, of course, that it's UK-only – get to it via the BBC website and then put a link to it on your desktop.

However, if you're outside the UK, the BBC News app (free) should make up for that. It dishes up the day's news in a format better suited to the iPad than just going to the BBC website – video plays (which it doesn't on the website) and the layout is clear and intuitive.

For web browsing, have a look at the Atomic web browser (59p for the ad-free version). It beats Safari hands-down with its tabbed browsing and adblocking.

I prefer TweetDeck (free) of the apps for Tweeters, who have lots to choose from, as the team has done an excellent job of optimising for the iPad. And finally, if you only buy one game, make it Angry Birds HD (£2.99), which will keep you going for hours trying to squash the evil green pigs by catapulting the birds at their houses. Genius.

Samsung offers its Star Nano 3G phone for just Rs.7320

Encashing the popularity of its Star series phones, Samsung India is all set to launch its Nano version for Indian mobile users in a very affordable price of Rs.7320. Samsung Star Nano 3G which has its official name as S3370 is quite popular with different names like Samsung Pocket 3G or Samsung Acton outside India.


It’s a 3G UMTS 2100 enabled phone which is also capable in handling 2G services. This affordable 3G phone is a better option for people looking to adopt forthcoming 3G facilities in coming future. The phone carries the dimensions of 99.9 x 53 x 12.9 mm along with a weight of just 86 grams.

The phone has a lucrative display with a 2.6 inches TFT resistive touchscreen which is capable in blending 256K colors and producing the content at a resolution of 240X320 pixels. TouchWiz UI 2.0 is another additional feature on its Display front.

Star Nano 3G has possesses an internal memory of 50MB which is sufficient enough to store a large number of contact details. Moreover, the phone has a provision of microSD card slot with which the memory of phone can be extended to a good 16GB.

The phone is enabled with Digital Natural Sound Engine (DNSE) to produce efficient sound from its in-built speakerphone.

Samsung Star Nano supports class 10 GPRS and EDGE technology along with BlueTooth feature for connectivity purpose with other devices and networks. Also there is a provision of a USB port to serve the purpose of physical connectivity.

But the phone lacks a bit on camera front as it has only 1.3 mega pixels capability. However, the camera is capable in producing images at a resolution of 1280 x 1024 pixels. Additional features like Smile Detection and video capturing complement the phone.

SNS 2.0 feature allow users to connect various social networking websites like Facebook, Myspace, YouTube, etc. The pop-up SNS feature allow users to update their status instantly, phone also has a GTalk, AIM, Palringo Chat for instant messaging. Stereo FM radio with RDS, SMS, MMS, Email, WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML Browser, Facebook, MySpace apps, MP3/eAAC+ player, MP4/H.263 player etc are some of the miscellaneous features which enhance the worth of handset.

Source http://www.mediamughals.com/News/1/6/Article/5487/Samsung_offers_its_Star_Nano_3G_phone_for_just_Rs.7320_.htm

Facebook CEO announces revamped privacy settings

Facebook's founder presented new one-click options Wednesday to help subscribers protect their privacy, responding to a torrent of complaints that it had become far too hard to determine and control levels of protection.

In a news conference, Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg chalked up recent stumbles to growing pains. He said that engineers and designers had holed up in a conference room in their Palo Alto offices over the past three weeks to work on new privacy settings.

"We don't pretend that we are perfect," Zuckerberg said in an interview. "We try to build new things, hear feedback and respond with changes to that feedback all the time."

The changes, which will be introduced over the next few weeks, mean that one click can block any third-party sites from tapping into Facebook's goldmine of data on a user. A similar one-click option will allow a user to stop applications on Facebook from tapping user information unless told otherwise. And in a reversal of a confusing feature introduced in December, users will be presented with simpler options on who gets to see information.

Instead of being forced to customize every status update and photo for a "friend" or more broadly, users can put information such as employment history and vacation videos into buckets designated either for friends, friends of friends or everyone on the Internet. (Washington Post Co. Chairman Donald E. Graham is on Facebook's board.)

The changes come amid growing scrutiny from U.S. and European regulators over the privacy practices of Internet giants such as Facebook and Google. The European Union told Google, Yahoo and Microsoft on Wednesday that their search engines don't comply with European privacy laws and told them to prove they are making user information anonymous.

Key U.S. lawmakers separately sent a letter to Google's chief executive asking how the company vacuumed up e-mail and other personal data from WiFi residential networks through its mapping program Street View.

Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Reps. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe L. Barton (R-Tex.) wrote to Google chief executive Eric Schmidt demanding answers to a dozen questions about what kinds of information Google collects through Street View and what it plans to do with that information.

"As we have said before, this was a mistake. Google did nothing illegal, and we look forward to answering questions from these congressional leaders," Google said in a statement.

"There is certainly more awareness of Internet privacy, and a lot of that is also the recognition that technology is way, way ahead of regulation," said Miriam Wugmeister, a partner at the law firm Morrison & Foerster who specializes in privacy.

The recent wave of criticism of Facebook began in December, when users were caught off guard with new tools that they found confusing and that in some cases made user information more broadly available to other Web sites and anyone searching the Internet.

A program introduced last month, "instant personalization," shared user information -- such as an individual's preferences and those of their friends -- with other Web sites. Privacy groups filed complaints with regulators, and thousands of users joined sites pledging to quit Facebook.

"If you find these changes helpful, then we plan to keep this privacy framework for a long time," Zuckerberg said. "That means you won't need to worry about changes. (Believe me, we're probably happier about this than you are.)"

Zuckerberg blamed the problems on the growth of Facebook, which has expanded from tens of thousands of users to hundreds of millions. "It's been a big shift along the way, and it hasn't always been smooth," he said.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) called Facebook's announcement a good first step. He had criticized Facebook this month for sharing information to third-party sites and called for an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission.

"The effectiveness of the proposal will be judged by how prominently displayed and easily accessed the opt-out option is for the user," he said.

Facebook Privacy Woes Make Little Impact on Site’s Popularity

Facebook Zuckerberg
Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaks at the f8 Developer Conference in San Francisco in April

Facebook Inc. has rankled politicians from Amsterdam to Washington for failing to protect personal privacy. Yet for all the criticism, users are flocking apace to the world’s largest social network.

Facebook had 519.1 million users last month, up from 411 million in September, according to ComScore Inc. And the site continued to add traffic this month, even as U.S. lawmakers, the American Civil Liberties Union and 30 European countries lodged complaints that Facebook has been reckless with personal data.

“I don’t think we’re going see an immediate and large migration away from Facebook,” said Augie Ray, an analyst with Forrester Research Inc. in Foster City, California. “There isn’t a real clear alternative for people to do the sorts of sharing that they’ve really come to expect and enjoy. What Facebook needs to make sure is that their actions don’t create demand for that competitor.”

Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg and other executives will unveil a simplified approach to privacy controls today at the company’s headquarters in Palo Alto, California. Critics have blasted the current approach to privacy as overly complex and tilted toward making more information public. The past few weeks have been “extremely humbling,” Facebook Vice President Chris Cox said yesterday.

‘We’re Quitting Facebook’

Internet companies are grappling with heightened scrutiny of how they gather and use personal information. Google Inc. came under fire in Europe and the U.S. after it mistakenly collected private data from Wi-Fi networks while working on its Street View service.

Some Facebook users, citing the privacy settings, have threatened to abandon the service. A website called “We’re Quitting Facebook” asks visitors to commit to leaving the site May 31. It had enlisted fewer than 16,000 people as of yesterday.

“For there to be any impact, there would have to be tens of millions,” said Chris Hoofnagle, director of the Berkeley Center for Law and Technology’s information privacy programs at the University of California. “There’s so much buy-in to the platform that the company can act pretty aggressively and users won’t hit the delete button.”

Even so, Facebook can’t afford to ignore the issue. Privacy groups have urged the Federal Trade Commission to force social- networking companies to keep a tighter lid on users’ data. Facebook also needs to preserve a trustworthy image to maintain ties with its advertisers, such as Starbucks Crop. and JetBlue Airways Corp.

‘Self-Regulatory Regime’

“For Facebook and other online companies, they’ve had a self-regulatory regime with sporadic enforcement for a decade,” said Ryan Calo, who runs the Consumer Privacy Project at the Center for Internet and Society, which is housed at Stanford University. “They have to actually be concerned that Congress or the FTC will intervene in a way that actually subjects them to substantive requirements.”

While privacy is a consideration for users, many are wedded to Facebook’s features, such as messaging, social gaming and running feeds of friends’ status updates. The average user creates 70 pieces of content monthly and is connected to 60 pages, groups and events, according to Facebook.

Facebook’s U.S. traffic was 4.7 percent higher last week than in the week ending May 1 -- before the latest privacy concerns spread. The site accounted for 8.5 percent of Internet visits, according to Experian Hitwise in New York.

‘Like’ Feature

The company drew criticism after adding features to the site last month. One addition automatically connects users to three outside websites, unless they specifically opt out of the service. The sites -- Yelp.com, Pandora and Docs.com -- tailor visits from Facebook members based on the user information. Another feature, called “Like,” lets people display their preferences for outside websites and pages.

“If they can put together a system that’s easy to use and makes it clear to Facebook users exactly what they’re sharing and not sharing, then, yes, it can stem the tide of criticism,” said Patrick Kerley, a consultant with Levick Strategic Communications LLC in Washington. “They’ve somehow managed to not communicate well on this platform that is so well known for its ability to communicate and share.”

Zuckerberg said Facebook “just missed the mark” with its privacy settings. New controls will be simpler to use and make it easier to turn off third-party services, he wrote in the Washington Post this week.

Regulatory Threat

Since it’s hard to switch information to another social- networking site, users have a tough time leaving, the Berkeley Center’s Hoofnagle said. That leaves the threat of regulation as the company’s biggest immediate challenge, he said.

In an April 27 letter, four U.S. senators pressed Facebook to rethink its latest features so that users can keep more personal information private. One of the senators -- Charles Schumer, a Democrat from New York -- also asked the Federal Trade Commission to provide privacy guidelines to social- networking sites.

Earlier this month, 15 consumer groups filed a complaint with the FTC. Officials from 30 European countries also wrote a letter to Facebook complaining about the privacy settings.

Hemanshu Nigam, founder of online-privacy advisory firm SSP Blue in Los Angeles, says social-networking users are already careful about what they put on the sites.

“They’re choosing what to put online in the first place, so they’re not so much concerned about it being visible or not,” said Nigam, who used to be chief privacy officer at News Corp., which owns Facebook rival MySpace. “They’ve already gone through the vetting process of deciding whether to put it online in the first place.”

Dual SIM G-Fone 571 Launched in India

G-Fone has launched its latest dual SIM handset in India, the G-Fone 571, reports Telecom Talk. The device is a full QWERTY handset with a decent spec sheet.

The 571 boasts of a 2.2 inch, 64K screen that displays stuff at QVGA resolutions. It boasts of a 208 Mhz processor that should be zippy enough to display and playback various multimedia content.

It supports MP4 video playback and has an FM radio packed in as well. There is a pretty basic 1.3 megapixel camera with flash the rear. It also doubles up as the video recorder. The phone surprisingly comes with a motion sensor.





Like many other devices of its kind, the 571 too is quite social networking friendly. The phone comes with Snaptu and Nimbuzz preloaded. The phone is GPRS capable. EDGE, however, is not supported. It would be too much to expect Wi-Fi in here but hey, Bluetooth does find its way in.

Other features include PC sync, expandable memory up to 8 GB and support for Java apps. At Rs. 3,999, we guess you should be satisfied what this phone offers you.

Spice S-7000 Disney powered mobile launched by Spice at Price Rs. 7,499

Spice S-7000 full touch screen mobile phone joins the Spice mobiles club freshly, as Spice has announced their high featured S-7000 launch in India. Spice S-7000 said to have some exclusive features like 3.2 inch bright full touch screen, 3.2 mega pixel camera, unlimited phonebook memory, WAP GPRS and more. Another attractive aspect of this Spice S-7000 is that the Spice company had a deal with Disney India, so that they can present Spice S-7000 mobile with preloaded exclusive Disney content. With all the latest features including a 3.2 mega pixel camera, Spice has tagged Spice S-7000 price at Rs. 7,499.

Spice S-7000 features are very impressive, innovative and are latest and up to date. Spice S-7000 mobile phone has got a bright 3.2 inch WQVGA full touch screen with quick response and nice user interface. It has got a 3.2 mega pixel camera with a video recording option. It didn’t have any built in flash, but the video and photo capturing options are said to be good. Spice S-7000 also has impressive internet features and you can connect to internet using WAP or GPRS/EDGE. Adding to that, you can use your Spice-7000 phone as a modem for your PC or laptop.

Spice S-7000 got few other unique features like unlimited phonebook entries and answering machines. Features like Email and instant messengers will always impress you, if you’re a mobile internet freak. Unlike most of its competitors, Spice S-7000 have the Java support, which means you can turn your mobile phone which way you like using the cool Java apps and games. Also you can use your S-7000 mobile phone as a webcam. The loud speaker with clear audio output will impress music lovers. Spice S -7000 got required connectivity options like USB data cable and Bluetooth. It supports an external memory up to 16 GB.

Spice S-7000 features at a look,

• 3.2 inch bright full touch QWVGA screen
• 3.2 MP camera with video recording option
• Extendable memory up to 16 GB (T Flash)
• WAP/GPRS/EDGE
• Email
• Java
• USB mass storage and Bluetooth
• Special preloaded content from Disney India
• Works as internet modem and webcam

Spice had tied with Disney India to make Spice S-7000 more attractive. Spice S-7000 will feature some Disney content in the form of movies, wallpapers and ringtones. Spice S-7000 mobile will be available only in white color. Going by the features and looks of this phone, Rs. 7,499 might be a good price for customers.

Wynncom Launches Seven Cheap Dual SIM Phones

Wynn Telecom has announced the launch of seven new dual SIM handsets in India priced between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 5,000. The new phones consist of basic, low to mid-range handsets, decently spec-ed devices complete with multimedia features and social networking integration. Let's take a quick look at the new models launched.

The low-end range consists of three handsets, the Y10, Y11 and the Y21. Let us take a look at each of these phones in brief.

Y10
The Y10 is the most basic handset amongst the range and boasts of features like dual SIM (GSM+GSM) ability, audio player, FM with recording, video player (128x128 pixels), expandable memory upto 4GB, a large1000mAh battery, torchlight, 500 contact phonebook, mobile tracker, blacklist, call reject SMS service and sound recording.




Y11
The Y11 is the way to go if you have slightly more moolah to spend. The phone is an upgrade over the Y10 and looks slightly up market as well. As for the features, here is what you get. Dual SIM (GSM+GSM) capability, 1800mAh long lasting battery, 4.6cm (1.8) 262k TFT color screen, torchlight, MP3 player, video player (128x160 pixels), FM with schedule recording, expandable memory upto 4GB, English/Hindi-language support, mobile tracker, GPRS enabled, application protection and blacklist software.




Y21
The Y21 is a dual SIM (GSM+GSM) handset that features a telescopic antenna for FM radio with schedule recording. It also boasts of an MP3 player, a 4.6cm (1.8) 262k TFT color screen, digital camera (VGA), video player, a 1200mAh battery, torchlight, English/Hindi-language support, expandable memory upto 4GB, mobile tracker, blacklist and application protection. This one will cost slightly more than the Y11.

Pakistanis shout 'Death to Facebook', burn US flags

Pakistani protesters shouted "Death to Facebook", "Death to America" and burnt US flags on Friday, venting growing anger over "sacrilegious" caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed on the Internet.

A Facebook user organised an "Everyone Draw Mohammed Day" competition to promote "freedom of expression", inspired by an American woman cartoonist, but sparked a major backlash in the conservative Muslim country of 170 million.

Islam strictly prohibits the depiction of any prophet as blasphemous and the row has sparked comparison with protests across the Muslim world over the publication of satirical cartoons of Mohammed in European newspapers in 2006.

The Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA) banned access to Facebook, YouTube and more than 450 links, including restricted access to Wikipedia in view of what it called "growing sacrilegious content".

PTA released a toll-free telephone number and email address, and has acted on complaints received by the regulator.

In Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, religious parties mobilised hundreds of protesters onto the streets to demand a ban on Facebook and an apology from the social networking site for humiliating Muslims.

Activists shouted slogans such as "Death to Facebook", "Death to America" and branded the United States the "root cause of all mischief" at the peaceful rallies, said an AFP reporter.

In Multan, a shrine city in Punjab province, hundreds of people rallied, burning US flags and tyres to block traffic before dispersing peacefully.

In the northwestern city of Peshawar, about 250 students and religious activists staged small protests, chanting "Death to Facebook, death to Youtube," and on one occasion torched a US flag, an AFP reporter said.

The offending Facebook page has attracted 105,000 fans -- and five pages of crude manipulated pictures and caricatures. Pages denouncing the competition and calling for a boycott of the May 20 competition attracted far more fans.

Facebook expressed disappointment at being blocked and said it was considering whether to make the offending page inaccessible in Pakistan.

YouTube, the Google-owned video-sharing site, said it was "working to ensure that the service is restored as soon as possible".

The controversy has yet to incite a mass outpouring onto the streets in Pakistan, where there are an estimated 2.5 million Facebook users, and it remains to be seen how far protests will spread to other Muslim countries.

Sweden said it has closed its embassy in Islamabad for more than two weeks due to the security situation, refusing to say whether any direct threats had been issued against the mission.

An Al-Qaeda front organisation has offered 100,000 dollars to anyone who kills Swedish artist Lars Vilks, who has angered many Muslims by drawing highly blasphemous caricature of the prophet.

Pakistan condemned the caricatures on Facebook and said that "such malicious and insulting attacks hurt the feelings of Muslims around the world".

The PTA asked Facebook and YouTube, which are wildly popular in Pakistan and set up in the United States, to resolve the matter as soon as possible in a manner that "ensures religious harmony and respect".

The purported creator of the Facebook page told a US television channel in a voice-only interview that he had meant to stand up for "freedom of expression".

"We know that the fight for freedom of expression, freedom of speech can't be stopped by a country like Pakistan censoring the Internet," the man, who would be identified only as "Andy", told MSNBC.

A rival Facebook page called "Against Everybody Draw Mohammed Day" started to oppose the caricature page had drawn some 106,300 fans.

Molly Norris, the American cartoonist whose work inspired the controversial page, condemned the Facebook spin-off and apologised to Muslims.

She drew a cartoon in April to protest against the cancellation of an episode of popular show "South Park". Norris satirically proposed May 20 as an "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day."

"The vitriol this 'day' has brought out, of people who only want to draw obscene images, is offensive to Muslims who did nothing to endanger our right to expression in the first place," she said.

Dell Studio 7100 XPS AMD equipped with 6 core processor launched in India

Exciting Dell Studio XPS integrated with AMD technology equipped with six core processor has launched in Indian markets. Dell Studio XPS is not only really affordable and offer durable multi-tasking powered with six core processor but also loaded with best high-end features of any desktop in this price range. Now, playing games, watching movies and using graphical applications has never been amazing with the coming of Dell 7100 Studio. Certainly, this new desktop will going to be most sought out computer in Indian markets.

In Dell Studio, 1.5 tetra-byte hard disk at 7200RPM offer you massive space to load your heavy data, information and applications, and simultaneously makes your computer faster relatively, on Dell Studio XPS 7100. Optical DVD+ RW super-multi drive integrated with Blu-ray technology will make you write, edit, copy and read disc in no time. Most exciting feature of Dell XPS 7100 Studio is sound blaster X-Fi Xtreme audio, which will be smart enough to use modulations and pitching ability to make your audio or video sound really beautiful.

On Dell XPS 7100 Studio, in-built graphic card of ATI Radeon HD 5870 with 1 GB GDDRS can handle heavy graphic videos and games without any possibility of tear up or breakage. Dell Studio 7100 XPS is measured at 16x7x18 inches which is weighed at 22.4 lbs. 6 GB RAM makes it even faster and powerful with ascending multi-tasking fidelity to new level. To makes it more attractive it has silver color carbide design which looks simply awesome.

Dell Studio7100 XPS is starting from Rs. 50,000 and higher version price range increases accordingly. Many big desktop companies are missing their foothold in desktop market in India and they’re more concentrating on Laptops and additional features. However, Lenovo, HP and HCL in India are offering similar multi-tasking computers, with similar price range, nevertheless, this Dell desktop has immense potential to become most popular among other desktop. But the drawbacks of Dell Studio XPS 7100 is wired mouse and keyboard, and TV tuner card is missing in it.

The best place to purchase Dell Studio XPS 7100 is online, where online retailers are lining up to offer this desktop on discounted rates at Rs. 48,000. But before you buy, do check out additional accessories and gift items available with Dell Studio XPS 7100.

Pakistan Widens Online Ban to Include YouTube


A protest in Karachi on Thursday against the published caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad on Facebook.

Pakistani authorities broadened a ban on social networking sites on Thursday, blocking YouTube and about 450 individual Web pages over what it described as “growing sacrilegious content.”

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, or P.T.A., blocked YouTube after a special Internet monitoring cell within the agency determined that “objectionable content” was increasing, according to a spokesman, Khurram Mehran.

“Earlier we were blocking the links,” he said of YouTube, “but when content increased we had to block the whole Web site.”The ban, which also included certain pages on the Flickr and Wikipedia sites, occurred a day after access to Facebook was suspended on orders from a Pakistani court. An Islamic lawyers group won that injunction, arguing that a contest started by users for drawings of the Prophet Muhammad — whose depiction is considered blasphemous by some Muslims — was offensive.

The ruling demonstrated the power of hard-line Islamic groups in Pakistan. Although they rarely garner many votes in elections and represent a minority of this country’s population, the groups are often able to impose their will on the more peaceful majority by claiming a defense of Islam.

Social networking sites are extremely popular in Pakistan, a country of 170 million, where more than 60 percent of the population is under the age of 25. Pakistan has about 25 million Internet users, almost all of them young, according to Adnan Rehmat, a media analyst in Islamabad.

The Telecommunication Authority said in a statement that the ban was “in line with the constitution of Pakistan, the wishes of the people of Pakistan.”

On Wednesday the court said its ruling would remain in effect until May 31, but Mr. Mehran said on Thursday it would continue until the administrators of sites removed the offending material.

Cartoons of the prophet published in a Danish newspaper in 2005 sparked violent protests by Muslims around the world, including in Pakistan.

Pakistan is not the only country to ban access to Web sites. In Turkey, authorities have imposed a sweeping ban for months at a time on YouTube, because of what authorities described as material offensive to the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The authorities in Thailand also blocked YouTube in 2007 over video content that officials said was disrespectful of the king.

But Internet users in Turkey get around the ban by using special addresses called proxies. That might also happen in Pakistan.

Twitter, another networking site, remained open, and people used it to express their views of the suspension.

“One day,” one user said, “they will ban breathing in Pakistan.”

Now, access Facebook on mobile devices for free

Popular social networking site Facebook can now be accessed through mobile devices for free or without any data charges in 45 countries, including India, on select mobile networks.

Facebook, which has over 400 million users worldwide, has tied up with Indian wireless operators -- Reliance Communications and Videocon -- to make the site available for cell phone users with zero data charges.

For this purpose, the entity has launched a new site ’0.facebook.com’ that includes all key features of Facebook but is optimised for speed.

“Today, we are launching ... ‘0.facebook.com’. “It, initially, is available through more than 50 mobile operators in 45 countries and territories with zero data charges,” a programme manager for Facebook Mobile, Sid Murlidhar, wrote in a blog on Wednesday.

A screenshot of a Facebook page. File Photo:  Special Arrangement

The Hindu A In India, the new site would be available on the networks of Reliance and Videocon, the blog said.

Noting that the new site is fast and free, Murlidhar said it has key features of standard mobile site ‘m.facebook.com’ such as updating user status, send and reply to messages, among others.

”... people can access 0.facebook.com without any data charges. Using 0.facebook.com is completely free. People will only pay for data charges when they view photos or when they leave 0.facebook.com to browse other mobile sites,” he added.

According to the blog, over 100 million people are actively using Facebook from their mobile device.

Other countries where the new site would be available include Brazil, Denmark, Greece, Finland, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Hungary and Indonesia.

Nokia to launch X3 and E52 in India

Leading handset manufacturer, Nokia is set to launch two new mobile phones named Nokia X3 and Nokia E52 in the Indian market.

The Nokia X3 is affordable entry level phone with 2.2 inch QVGA display. It offers a 3.2 mega pixels camera and for music lovers it features dedicated music keys and FM radio. The Nokia X3 also provides support for MicroSD cards

The company has already launched two music phones named Nokia X3 and Nokia X6 in its X series. The company now plans to further add X2 which will feature dedicated keys for music, photo sensor for a definition of 5 MP priced at just Rs. 5000.

On the other hand, the Nokia E52 is a smartphone featuring a 2.4 inch QVGA display and a 3.2Mega Pixel camera with flash and separate video wall camera. As for connectivity it offers, WiFi and GPS support. Along with standard features it also provides MicroSD card support.

The Nokia E52 comes as a replacement of its earlier model Nokia E51 and is part of the Nokia E-Series smartphones.

The Nokia X3 is priced at Rs. 7,500 while the Nokia E52 will come with a price tag of Rs. 13,000.

Videocon Launches Free Facebook Access on Mobile

After the Free Access to FaceBook offered by Reliance Communications now another GSM Mobile Service operator Videocon Telecommunications Limited today announced the launch of free mobile browsing on the new 0.facebook.com site for its GSM mobile service subscribers in India.

By sponsoring 0.facebook.com Videocon Mobile Services is enabling its customers to stay connected through Facebook with their friends and family from any mobile Web browser without incurring any data charges.

Facebook’s 0.facebook.com site is optimized for speed – it is a new faster, lightweight version of Facebook’s mobile site m.facebook.com. The site does not have graphics or photos and 0.facebook.com’s pages have been designed for performance on the Videocon Mobile Services network.

Videocon Mobile Services, the next generation GSM services brand from the Videocon Group, is committed to extending the Group’s innovation-driven legacy by delivering an enriched mobile service experience to its customers. The collaboration with Facebook and the launch of 0.facebook.com on the Videocon Mobile Services network is an integral part of the brand’s focused strategy around next-generation mobile value added services designed to reach out to socially active consumers.

“Videocon Mobile Services is delighted to partner with Facebook to make 0.facebook.com available to users in India. Social networking has become an integral part of today’s consumer’s always-connected lifestyle and faster access to Facebook on a mobile phone will definitely offer an enhanced experience. The launch of 0.facebook.com on the Videocon Mobile Services network will enable our customers to experience the change with faster, any-time social connectivity with their peers at zero cost. This launch is in line with our commitment to offering a unique and value driven experience to our customers.” said Mr. Sunil Tandon, Chief Marketing Officer, Videocon Telecommunications Limited.

“We are always looking to work with innovative companies to provide simple and fast mobile access to Facebook across the world,” said Henri Moissinac, Head of Mobile Business, Facebook. “Thanks to our collaboration with Videocon Mobile Services, we can deliver 0.facebook.com together which gives a high quality and more affordable way to access Facebook for the Indian mobile market.”

Mumbai girl at Physics Olympiad

Aakanksha Sarda’s younger brother Sagar is suddenly worried about his academic future. With an elder sister who has grabbed the limelight by becoming the only Mumbai girl among five to make it to the coveted International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), he is now certain he has large shoes to fill.

But the mood was only joyous at the Sarda household on Monday, as the family basked in the glory that Aakanksha brought by being selected for a team of five smart Newtons-to-be from about 36,000 students across the nation.

A Std XII student of Sathaye College, the Mumbai girl has been selected to participate in the 41st IPhO to be held at Zagreb in Croatia between July 17 - 25, 2010.

The announcement was made on Monday at a training camp held at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE), which has been selecting and training students for the Physics Olympiad since 1998. No points for guessing who won the first prize at the camp.

“I am very excited to represent India at the IPhO. I have got an opportunity and I will see to it that my team wins the IPhO. I just need to have clear, logical and original thinking,” said Aakanksha, smiling from ear to ear.

When asked if she was expecting to be a part of the team, she said, “I did have rough idea that I will be in the top five as I had scored well during the practice tests conducted at the training camp.”

Preparations for putting a team in place for IPhO began in November 2009, when about 36,000 students from across the nation participated in the first level examination conducted by Indian Association of Physics Teachers (IAPT).

From that, 312 students were selected for the second level test at Indian National Physics Olympiad (INPhO). Out of that, 37 students were selected for an orientation-cum-selection or training camp held at HBCSE from May 4-17, 2010. This year, over 80 countries are expected to participate in IPhO.

National Co-ordinator of Science Olympiads, Prof. Vijay Singh, said this will be the second time that a girl will represent India at IPhO. “Earlier, Neha Rambhia from Mumbai had represented the country in 2006.”

Aakanksha has always been ahead of the game. She was one of the toppers of the ICSE in 2008, and also won a silver medal at the 2009 International Linguistic Olympiad held in Poland.

Zarana, the proud mother, said, “We are planning to take her on a vacation wherever she wants to go. We know she needs a break from her studies.”

Aakanksha isn’t sure what she will pursue after her Std XII results are declared.

She said, “I do have a couple of options in my mind like mathematics, physics, computer science or electrical engineering. I may also go for linguistics, economics. I even love learning languages. I know French and am learning Chinese.”

Right now, Aakanksha is jubilant. She certainly feels like the heroine of one of Jane Austen’s books she loves to read: at long last, a happy ending.

Fastest, priciest Porsche coming to Canada

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS Porsche

Called the 911 GT2 RS, it is the successor to the GT2, and it claims the highest top speed of any prior production Porsche, as well as the fastest time around the hallowed Nürburgring circuit.

The most powerful Porsche ever and the priciest variant of the 911 will arrive in Canada this fall, and the numbers are both jaw dropping: 620 hp, for $297,000. Called the 911 GT2 RS, it is the successor to the GT2, and it claims the highest top speed of any prior production Porsche, as well as the fastest time around the hallowed Nürburgring circuit.

In terms of power for the dollar, the GT2 RS is actually “reasonably” priced, if one can say that about any six-figure car. Especially when you consider that Porsche’s last record-breaking car in power and price, the mid-engine, race car-based 2007 Carrera GT, offered 605 hp for a Swiss bank account-punishing $445,000 – and priced only in U.S. funds.

On the other hand, the GT2 RS doesn’t look much different than the standard 450 hp 911 Turbo, which starts at a much more reasonable (in supercar terms) $165,300. Porsche-philes will note some new carbon-fibre bits, unique centre-locking wheels, and wider front fenders and tires.

Acceleration from rest to 100 km/h in the rear-wheel drive GT2 RS is stunning (3.5 seconds), but essentially equal to the standard all-wheel drive Turbo coupe (3.6 for 6-speed manual, 3.4 with PDK and launch control engaged). When pointed out to a Porsche rep that perhaps the GT2 RS should be notably quicker than its less pricey Turbo variants, he argued that the rear-drive setup doesn’t allow for as much instant acceleration hookup, plus the seven-speed PDK shift paddles can shift faster than a person can.

He pointed instead to the GT2 RS model’s Nürburgring-Nordschleife time of 7 minutes and 18 seconds, or about 20 seconds faster than a latest generation 911 Turbo, helped by those wider tires, standard carbon ceramic brakes, and extra 170 hp. Its top track speed is said to be 330 km/h, again faster than the Carrera GT. It is slated to make its public debut at the Moscow auto show in late August, and arrive in Canada in very limited numbers starting in October.

Intel to Use Wireless Display Technology

Intel is going to use its wireless display technology to mobile gadgets, including tablets as well as smartphones.

Due to the Wi-Di technology, users are able to transmit video as well as images wirelessly, from PC to a TV available with a high-definition screen. It should be mentioned that such a technology will be added to tablets, netbooks, as well as handheld devices.

At an investor conference Intel CEO Paul Otellini said that having Wi-Di technology with Intel-based devices, it will be easier to view HD content that can be found on such devices as mobile phones with larger screens.

The company intends to improve out-of-box usage experience. Moreover Intel plans to integrate the Wi-Di capability into all Intel platforms. It can only mean that Intel-based devices will be able to manage seamless wireless communication of HD video between the big screen and that device.

Moreover, the quality of video available from home camcorders will be improved. One should say that there is an increasing interest when viewing such content on bigger screens.

In fact, Wi-Di makes use of software that takes advantage of graphics capabilities of Intel’s Core processors.